By StaffMonday, June 24, 2013 12:24 AM
CHICAGO—
Prevent Blindness America (PBA) has announced the 2013 launch of its Most Beautiful Eyes Contest, now in its third year. The contest gives children across the U.S. a chance to win a $10,000 educational scholarship from Marchon Eyewear by having their photo submitted to PBA’s Facebook page.

Parents and caregivers of children ages zero to 17 may enter their child by posting a photo to the
PBA Facebook page (only one contestant per account may be entered) between June 24 and July 31, 2013. Once submissions close, from Aug. 1 to 31, the public is invited to place online votes once every 24 hours for their choice of the child with the “most beautiful eyes.”

Contestants who receive the highest number of votes in their state will receive a free pair of RKS sunglasses, a copy of the children’s book “Jacob’s Eye Patch” by Beth Kobliner Shaw and Jacob Shaw and will advance to the second round of voting.

In the second round, a PBA celebrity panel of judges will select the national winner. Celebrity panel judges include ORA-TV’s Larry King, “Fox NFL Sunday” host Curt Menefee, actress Barbara Eden and author and financial journalist Beth Kobliner Shaw. Once a winner is chosen, the child and two family members will be invited to receive the scholarship prize at the PBA Annual Awards Banquet, scheduled to take place on Nov. 8, 2013 in Chicago.

PBA president and CEO Hugh R. Parry said, “We encourage parents from all over the country to enter their child’s photo today for a chance to win the $10,000 scholarship prize as well as great prizes for all of our state winners.”

Past winners include Ava Lloyd of South Dakota, age 4, in 2012 and Kayla Helferich of South Carolina, then age 8, in 2011.